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TRIN-GYI-PHO-NYA: Tibet's Environment & Development
Digest
July 20, 2004, Vol. 2, No. 4
| I. Editorial: China's Laws and Renzonghai
Lake Dam-ned Chinese tourists and environmentalists alike have expressed outrage over the illegal construction of Renzonghai dam project. The Tianwan River Hydropower Development Co. (TRHDC), a power construction company owned by Sichuan Investment Group, is covertly undertaking the construction of roads and bridges, and the clearing of old growth trees near Renzonghai, a sacred lake in the scenic Gangkar (Chinese: Gongga) mountain area in Dartsedo (Chinese: Kangding) county of Sichuan Province. TRHDC was involved in illegal preparatory construction work at the site as early as June 2003. This included building roads, cutting trees along the road, and piling dirt and rocks on the lake shore. On July 8, 2003, the Sichuan Environmental Protection Bureau demanded a halt to the project as TRHDC had started construction without the proper permits from either the Bureau or the Department of Construction, but to no avail. Soon afterwards, China Central Television did a story about the Renzonghai lake dam which attracted the attention of Sichuan Province's Party Secretary, Mr. Zhang Xue-zhong, as well as the Governer, Mr. Zhang Zhong-wei. The provincial leaders ordered the Sichuan Forestry Office and Construction Office to conduct investigations, which led to a temporary halt in construction, but the project soon started up again. This illegal construction seriously compromises the government's efforts to protect the integrity of the area's biodiversity-rich, sacred mountain ecosystem, named the "Gongga Mountain National Scenery and Natural Conservation Area." Renzonghai project plans involve construction of power-storage-pumping-plants at Renzonghai Lake and Bawanghai Lake, connected by a water diversion tunnel. If the illegal construction is allowed to continue, a hydro-power project will be functional in the next three years that will cause serious, long-term harm to the surrounding environment. Environmentalists rightly fear that this might create a hydro-power development trend in the Gongga Moutain National Scenery and Natural Conservation Area as other water construction companies such as Huaneng International (for Yeti Lake dam project: see next article) vie to harness the area's abundant water resources. Currently, the area's freshwater resources support more than 1,000 species of rare tropical plants. The area has 2,000 varieties of fauna, is rich in old growth evergreen, broadleaf, and bamboo forest. It also has a sizable population of endangered and endemic animals such as wapiti, wildebeest, black bear and panda. Irresponsible construction of hydro-power dams put all of these species at risk. The implications for the local people, mainly of Tibetan, Yi and Han ethnicities, are also likely to be unfavorable. Not surprisingly, 39 out of 40 local Tibetans opposed the project in response to a survey conducted last year. Economically, their traditional forms of livelihood -- farming, pastoralism and gathering medicinal herbs -- would be disrupted by the project's logging of old growth forests and the flooding of pastoral lands. Those that depend on the bourgeoning tourism economy are also unhappy with the project as the area's most important tourist attraction is its pristine natural beauty. Reports also indicate that at least two Tibetan villages -- Zimei and Weishida villages in Liuba Xiang - will be flooded and submerged under the new reservoir. As disturbing as it is, the future of these colorful people's traditional lifestyle is in the hands of corrupt officials, to whom they are worth less than a bag of cement. Concerned readers are encouraged to urge the Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao (address: Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council, General
Office of the State Council, 2 Fuyou Street, Beijing, China 100017)
to stop the corrupt local officials and the TRHDC from further misrepresenting
the Chinese Communist Party and to follow through with the Party’s
commitments to protect China’s "ethnic minorities"
and the environment. - top of page - |
| II. BREAKING NEWS: Construction of Western
Route of South-North Water Diversion Project in Progress (Sources: China Water Daily, July 8; China Water Resources News, July 15) “Preliminary construction work” of the first phase of Western Route of the South-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) is reported as being undertaken on “a large scale” by Yellow River Conservancy Commission, while various technical studies relating to the project are being conducted or reviewed by experts. SNWDP is considered to be the world’s longest and largest water transfer project. The plan involves diverting waters from the Yangtze River thousands of kilometers to the “thirsty north” from three routes--eastern, central, and western. The Western Route from the Tibetan Plateau is going to be the most expensive and difficult of the three routes. Estimated to cost around US $ 37 billion by the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources, the Western Route includes construction of at least three large dams on the upper tributaries of Drichu (Yangtze River) -- one dam on the Yalong river (Ngagchu in Tibetan) with a height of 175 meters, another on the Tongtianhe (Thogthon Chuwo in Tibetan) with a height of 302 meters, and a third on the Daduhe (Gyarong Ngulchu in Tibetan) with a height of 296 meters. (Currently the world’s tallest dams are Rogun Dam (335 m) and Nurek Dam (300 m), both on the Vakhsh River in Tajiskistan.) Construction is likely to be carried out in three phases, completing by 2050. The first phase of the Western Route consists of linking of six existing reservoirs, several water channels and aqueducts. Water will be diverted from two tributaries of Nyagchu River (or Yalong He), namely Dachu (Da Qu) and Nyichu (Nyikog He) through three tributaries of Gyalrong Ngulchu (or Dadu He), namely, Dokog He, Markog He and Ake He (Dadu), to be drained into Jachu (or Ja Qu) that joins the main river of Machu (or Hwang He/Yellow River). Construction of 1300 meter long tunnels and 400 meter long aqueducts are reported to be completed. A tunnel is also being constructed in Lazhou, the capital of Gansu Province and one of the main receiving cities of the water diversion project. It has been reported that technical studies were submitted to various government departments for review, including a water diversion model based on Mingliu Water Transfer Design, which is expected to be reviewed by experts sometime this month. Other reports submitted include a “Study of Water Transfer and Its Impacts on the Environment” and “Impact of Water Transfer in Downstream Areas.” According to the Mingliu design, several counties including Pema Dzong (Banma Xiang in Golog TAP), located in the upper reaches of Zaluo dam of Markog He river, a tributary of Gyalrong Ngulchu River (Chinese: Dadu He) will be inundated. The report on “Inundation caused by dams in the Western Route areas of South-North Water Diversion Project and Resettlement Plan” is expected to be completed in December 2004. At present, fieldwork is being carried out on “all aspects
of the project" by “300 scientific researchers working
on the field.” Planners are aiming to finish all fieldwork
investigations by the end of 2004 and have a final grant proposal
ready by the end of 2005. Options for the financing the project
cost include state funds, bank loans, state loans, and other financial
channels such as raising water fees and fundraising in the provinces
that stand to benefit from the water transfer. - top of page - |
| III. Feature Article on Megoe Tso (Mugecuo
or Yeti Lake) [*This story was reported by Yangchen Tsomo and written by Dolkar Tenzing, who can be reached via email] On July 10, 2004, surrounded by snow capped mountains and a clear
blue sky, Megoe Tso (Mugecuo Lake, also called Yeti Lake) appeared
in front of my eyes again. It is hard to imagine that the sacred
waters of this beautiful pristine lake will be drained to generate
electricity. I remember my first visit in Megoe Tso in June 2003.
At that time, most local people did not even know what a dam was.
Those who knew simply hoped that they could find some work at the
construction site and earn enough money to survive. However, as
time passed, people became more informed about the true consequences
of dam projects. One cadre from the Forestry Department told us without any hesitation how the dam will destroy various endemic plant and animal species. He told us that until recently, many of these areas – including large expanses of old growth forest and the Mugecuo and Renzonghai lakes - were protected as part of the "Gongga [Gangkar in Tibetan] Mountain National Scenery and Natural Conservation Area." However, under the rubric of development, these protected areas are now being divided as dam construction sites. Calling the unsustainable exploitation of natural areas “progress in economic and environmental development” is a common practice throughout China. It was not surprising to hear criticism from officers of the tourism and forestry departments, but it was amazing to hear the extent to which many of the local Tibetans understood the consequences of the dam. That evening, while visiting a local Tibetan family, one young girl said she doesn't like the dam because it would harm animals. She also said the plan is too dangerous. Megoe Tso is geographically located above Dartsedo (Chinese: Kangding). If something goes wrong with the dam because of the area's susceptibility to earthquakes, their lives will be in danger. Her familhy told me that, a few years ago, the Zeduo River was filled with sand in order to meet demand for land from the city, but a big flood inundated the whole city before the construction finished. Many people died and countless others lost their homes and property. Even before the flood, several earthquakes had caused major damage. The family pointed out that this area is clearly not suited for this kind of major construction, and that local people ultimately bear the burden for these repeated failures. We also met a member of Kham in Green, known as "Green Kangba" in Chinese, a Tibetan environmental NGO. He had come to survey the holy mountains and sacred lakes around Kangding. Many famous lamas (Buddhist teachers) in Kangding are members of the animal protection association, and volunteer completely out of their own initiative. In Kangding, people's understanding of the environment is rooted in the Buddhist doctrine of interdependence of humans and nature. Kelsang, a middle age herb seller with a prayer wheel in his hand, also had much to say about the dam project. "Every place has its own beauty and uniqueness." "For example," he continued, "Xichang county is the best place to build a satellite. Here in Mugecou, we have a beautiful lake that attracts a lot of tourists. Excluding the income from selling herbs and vegetables cultivated from the field, my family earns several thousand RMB a year solely from business with tourists. Much of my family's expenses for food, clothes and tuition for children's school depend on this income." He said he may work on the dam construction site to earn some money. However, he is concerned about his family's future. "What will I do after the completion of dam construction work in three to five years? What will others in the village do? How will we support our children?" Kelsang wonders. Kelsang and his neighbors discussed whether the surge in development projects the expected boost they would give the local income would actually benefit them. They concluded that local cadres and officers are the real beneficiaries of this development. It was apparent from their discussion that corruption and misuse of public funds were rampant in the region. In Kangding, people point out how each government leader has one
expensive imported jeep. If every leader has a jeep that costs RMB
500,000, then how much money did it cost to buy jeeps for one hundred
leaders, and where did that money come from? Not surprisingly, these
leaders always praise the dam project and argue that building the
dam will alleviate poverty for the local population. For a message,
one of the local old men had one quotation from Chairman Mao: corruption
and waste are big sins.
- top of page -
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| IV. General Electric Seeks Tibet Railway
Contract by Sarah Hoffman* American-based General Electric, a Fortune 500 company, has expressed interest in building locomotives for the planned railway line from Qinghai Province to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Sources say that the rail line, which is nearly two-thirds complete, will accelerate the migration of ethnic Chinese to Tibet, increase social and economic marginalization of Tibetans, and accelerate environmental destruction on the Tibetan Plateau. General Electric (GE) has been doing business in China for nearly a century, and is already a significant partner with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Seeking to strengthen its position in China's swiftly expanding economy. According to a June 2004 China Daily article, GE Transportation & Rail president and CEO Charlene Begley was quoted saying, "We are very interested in building a locomotive for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway." Plans for a rail link between China and the Tibetan plateau have been in the works for several decades. However, it wasn't until Jiang Zemin and his government created its Western Development Plan in 1999 that the blueprints for such an ambitious project became a reality. Despite the political obstacles and engineering challenges, Jiang forged ahead with the project, saying that despite the potential lack of commercial viability, "this is a political decision" [New York Times, 10 August 2001]. Indeed, Jiang and the central Chinese government have long known how effective railways are for consolidating control over remote and restive regions. For Tibet, this increased control will touch social, economic, and environmental aspects of life on the plateau. The Tibet railway will increase the transfer of ethnic Han Chinese into Tibet, furthering China's declared policy of population transfer and in the process diluting Tibetans' cultural and religious traditions and increasing ethnic tensions in the area. Despite the promise of economic development, such projects bring about the economic marginalization of Tibetans: for the railway projects, of the 38,000 jobs open to workers, only 6,000 were occupied by Tibetans [LA Times, 29 October 2003]. And once the railroad is complete, many of the Han workers will stay to take advantage of the tax breaks and incentives for resettling in the region. The railway will also greatly accelerate the militarization of the Tibet. The railway will improve military maneuverability, enable rapid troop deployments, facilitate the expansion of PLA bases, and may lead to increases in nuclear weapons, air force, and missile deployments. This not only strengthens China's grip on Tibet, but also poses a threat to India, and could lead to further instability in central and south Asia. Finally the railway will enable broader exploitation of Tibet's natural resources, including chromite, coal, oil, gas, gold, and diamonds. This accelerated resource exploitation will bring with it increased environmental degradation. The Tibetan Government in Exile has addressed each of these issues in its "Guidelines for Development Inside Tibet." The Exile Government firmly opposes any project that promotes population transfer, economic marginalization, and environmental destruction. The International Tibet Support Network, as well as many individual Tibet Support Groups, are now attempting communication with GE in the hopes that the company will rescind its decision to pursue this relationship with China's Ministry of Railways. As a company with a near monopoly on many industries, GE is staking its reputation on a controversial project and a partnership with an infamous regime. Though it is doubtful the project can be stopped completely, the international community must now ensure that no international monies or technology go into furthering Chinese consolidation of Tibet via the Gormo-Lhasa Railway. [*Sarah Hoffman is the national coordinator for US Tibet Committee. Sarah can be contacted via email] - top of page -
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V. Letter to the Editor This is in response to Carole Samdup's comments (Op-ed: A Human Rights Framework for Development in Tibet) on the Guidelines for Development in Tibet in the last issue of TRIN-GYI-PHO-NYA, May 06, 2004, Vol. 2, No. 3. Her comments are highly appreciated. However we feel that our stress on needs-based development as an alternative to China's present development strategy in Tibet under the Rationale section of the Guidelines has been misunderstood. A careful study of the Guidelines in its entirety would show that we are deeply concerned about the rights of the Tibetan people to participate in the development process right from the planning stage. When we say "a new approach based directly on human needs....", we are not necessarily advocating the conventional needs-based strategy. We are talking about a strategy that addresses the basic needs of the Tibetan people through their own active participation. In the Guidelines, the last of four underlying principles, Participatory and Needs-based Development, should make our stand clear: "Usurpation and co-option of public powers by groups or individuals becomes self-development of vested interests rather than addressing the interests of the people. To ensure that development projects are sensitive and accountable to the needs of the people, empowerment of the grassroots level populace through genuine participation is essential. Participatory development would naturally safeguard the needs of local people... So, when designing projects, it is crucial that the development agencies find skillful and innovative ways to assess the needs and involve the local populace, and at the same time avoid the clear danger of putting them at risk due to the ire of local authorities. Institutionalisation of procedures and democratic governance at the grassroots level are essential steps toward self-governance..." The Guidelines have advocated neither a needs-based nor a rights-based approach per se. Instead, we have taken a pragmatic and flexible approach to development based primarily on the needs of Tibetans. To be precise, under the section Crosscutting Guidelines, it says: "...The Tibetan worldview and modern synthesis of appropriate development practices encourages a respectful, thoughtful approach to development that embraces many factors rather than a narrow, technical compliance with shallow and literal considerations..." The Guidelines are an attempt to facilitate and promote better development practices under the present, complicated situation. They emphasize that the needs of the Tibetan people should be articulated by the Tibetans themselves and not by the State or other outside actors. - top of page -
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| VI. News-in-Brief (Prepared by Dolkar Tenzing*) 1. Banks Advised Not to Sell Environmentally
Damaging China Bonds On July 14, 22 international environmental organizations, led by
International Rivers Network and Friends of the Earth, called on
banks not to sell bonds of the China Development Bank (CDB) and
the China Export Import Bank (CEB). The environmental groups charge
that the two financial institutions are playing a pivotal role in
funding the Three Gorges Dam and other destructive dam projects
around the world. 2. 4th International Congress on Yaks The Fourth International Congress on Yak will be held in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, from September 20-25, 2004. The Congress' aim is to provide an environment for delegates from yak-raising and non-yak- raising countries to discuss sustainable yak production, exchange scientific information, deepen mutual friendship and strengthen cooperation. The conference is being jointly hosted by Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Foodstuff and Southwest University for Nationalities of China. International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, the Yak and Camel Foundation of Germany and several other organizations are jointly sponsoring the congress. The congress sessions include topics like production system, genetics and breeding, nutrition and feeds, reproduction and physiology, disease and health service, and processing and marketing. 3. Powerful Earthquake in Western Tibet A powerful earthquake has struck a remote mountainous region of western Tibet, but there was no immediate information on deaths or injuries. The earthquake struck in the Gangdise Mountains around the area of Mount Kailash,) approximately 560 km west of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The US Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado, put the magnitude at 6.0. The quake was centred in Drongpa County (Chin: Zhongba), which has about 20,000 inhabitants and lies at an altitude of 16,500 feet. "Communication is extremely difficult, and precise information on casualties or toppled houses will take some time," said Dun Zhu, head of the county government. Drongpa County is approximately 96 km north of the TAR border with Nepal and 352 km northwest of Kathmandu. 4. Traffic Lights on Qinghai-Tibet Highway for Antelope
Migration According to the official Chinese news agency, The Hoh Xil Natural Reserve Administration and the Green River environmental protection organization jointly set up traffic lights on the Qinghai-Tibet highway to remind drivers and tourists to respect Tibetan Antelopes' migration routes. "Each year, during June and middle of July, more than 10,000 female antelopes cross [the] Qinghai-Tibet Highway [to] migrate … north to give birth along the banks of the Zhuonai and Taiyang lakes in northwestern China. They then make the return trip with their babies a couple of months later." 5. Fear and Confusion Surround Forced Resettlement for
Pubuguo Dam Local people subject to forced resettlement for the construction of the 186 meter tall Pubuguo dam on the Dadu River (Gyalrong Gyamo Ngulchu in Tibetan) are confused and dismayed with the government's relocation plans. The project, which began construction in April 2004, is expected to displace 100,894 people and inundate an area of 84.14 square kilometers of land that includes 20 counties and townships, 65 villages and 8457 acres of agricultural land near the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau (approx. 103 degrees longitude and 29 degrees latitude). Helpless local people are worried about current government relocation practices. Armed police have dragged away many people who had refused to move out of their homes. Some people complain that officials cheated them: they were moved to a different site, not the one promised and for which they were made to sign agreements. Others who were moved from Hanyuan County were further disappointed to learn that the cost of land in the new city is 180 yuan more expensive per square meter than the government compensation of 320 yuan per square kilometers for their traditional homes. Hanyuan County, an area of cultural and historic importance and home to people of 17 different "minority nationalities," including Tibetans, will soon be submerged under Pubuguo reservoir. 6. General Electric Seeks Contract in Gormo-Lhasa Railway GE, the world's leading multi-industry conglomerate, is forming partnerships with China to build locomotives there. The president and CEO of GE, Charlene Begley, visited China recently to promote GE's business with China, in providing technology and expertise to expand the capacity of China's railways. According to China Daily, one of the purposes of Begley's trip is to promote its locomotives for the controversial Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Begley is quoted as being "very interested" in building a locomotive for the Gormo-Lhasa railway and that GE as having technical expertise in operating locomotives on high plateaus. 7. Nepalese Airlines Seek Access to Lhasa Route Agence France Presse (AFP) reports that Nepal Senior Nepalese and Tibetan officials held talks on 14 June about promoting direct air links to Tibet to counter what an official called "a drastic drop in tourism". The discussions were called after thousands of Indian pilgrims, who normally travel on overland routes through Nepal, have allegedly been scared away as Maoist rebel violence has made the journey more dangerous than it was before. At the meeting, Shankhar Prasad Pandey, the Nepalese delegation leader, urged his counterpart, Bha Dro, to allow Nepalese airliners to fly to Lhasa in Tibet and helicopter services to operate to the Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage sites of Mount Kailash and Lake Manosaravar. At present, only Chinese airlines are allowed to operate between Lhasa and Kathmandu. 8. Australian Investment Group to Prospect for Gold in
Tibet Orchid Resources Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian venture capital investment group Orchid Capital Limited announced that on 05 June 2004, it had signed a Cooperative Joint Venture Contract (CJV) with the China Tibet Institute of Geology Survey (CTIGS), covering an area of 2,000 km2. Orchid will fund up to US$17 million of exploration and feasibility work over seven years for its 70% stake in a new company, Orchid Tibet Mining Co. 30% will be owned by the CTIGS. Orchid will initially focus on the Nagarze (Tib. Nagatse) gold project, where the CTIGS currently holds an exploration licence. The Nagarze gold project is situated approximately 100km south west of Lhasa, along the Gangdise Shan Range (Kailash Range), thought to be part of a belt of mineralisation from Pakistan, through to Tibet, Myanmar, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Joint managing director Alvin Tan said Orchid Resources would set precedents for exploration in Tibet. "One of the main reasons Tibet hasn't been explored is because of a political reason at the borders," he said. "I think being there has a pro and a con; we have the first advantage but there is no precedence and we will be the precedence setter." 9. World Heritage Conference held in China The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held its 28th World Heritage conference in Suzhou, China. Through the World Heritage initiative, UNESCO "seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity." Earlier, many groups and individuals called on China and the World Heritage Committee to enlist Mt. Kailash (Gang Rinpoche) into the list. In Suzhou, UNESCO has urged China to take better care of Tibet's Potala Palace. Earlier, there were news reports of a smuggled tape from Tibet requesting UNESCO to stop the mismanagement of the renovation of Potala Palace by Chinese workers. The committee plans to re-examine whether the famous winter palace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama should be put on a danger list. Amongst other instances, reports indicate that China proposed to enlist Sichuan Province's panda habitats as a natural World Heritage Site and the 'Life of King Gesar' as the longest epic in the world, and as a work of intangible cultural heritage. 10. Nepal and China Agree on Tighter Trans-Himalayan Border
Security AFP reports that senior Nepalese and Chinese officials are discussing measures to check cross-border criminal activities and unauthorised trade, a Nepalese home ministry official said following a meeting of senior Nepalese and Chinese officials, which began in Kathmandu on 23 May 2004. The meeting is expected to conclude on 25 May with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The meeting is focusing mainly on the control of trans-Himalayan trespassing by Tibetans and Nepalese through border towns without travel documents, the official said. "The growing Maoist activities, smuggling of arms, trafficking in endangered wildlife and herb species along the trans-Himalayan frontier between Nepal and Tibet are the main items on the agenda at the bilateral meeting," another home ministry official said. 11. 30,000 Chinese Reservoirs Facing Serious Safety Problems According to Interfax, in a recent Ministry of Water Resources' teleconference it was stated that more than 30,000 Chinese reservoirs (36% of country's total) are facing serious problems as a consequence of mismanagement, technological backwardness and natural decay in China. Currently, there are 86,000 dams including 445 larger size dams, 2782 middle size dams and 82000 small size dams. According to figures provided by the Ministry of Water Resources, a total of 3,484 dams have collapsed in the period from 1954 to 2003, a remarkable annual average of almost 70. Officials argue that China's ability to construct and maintain dams has actually improved, and the annual average in the 1990s fell to 18 from a peak of 204 in the 1970s. [Dolkar Tenzing is an intern with Tibet Justice
Center's Environment and Development Program. She can be reached
at dolkar@tibetjustice.org] |
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